The present invention is directed to recovering a gas from the ocean floor, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for mining, extracting and recovering methane gas from methane hydrate formations located on the ocean floor.
Gas hydrates are crystalline substances composed of water and gas, mainly containing methane, where a solid-water lattice encloses the gas molecules in a cage-like structure, or clathrate. Methane hydrates are predominantly found on the ocean floor around the continental margins. They are found to exist because of cold, high-pressure deep-water conditions. Methane hydrates are a potential source for fuel energy. However, the geological distribution and availability of this material is still under study while methods to recover the resource are only beginning to be considered.
Although methane hydrates are abundantly found in nature, its implications as a source of energy and impact on the environment have not yet been sufficiently understood. As a result, the recovery of methane from the gas hydrates has not yet been fully explored. Although a few techniques for mining and recovery of gas hydrates are conventionally utilized, these techniques are not filly satisfactory.
In view of the above, there is a need for providing a simple technique to extract gas hydrates with a minimum of environmental damage and technological need.